A celebrity chef, blogger, recipe developer and now, a successful cookbook author, Nargisse Benkabbou is a self-styled ambassador of Moroccan cuisine. Her cookbook Casablanca offers eclectic interpretations of authentic Moroccan recipes with a contemporary spin. It even gets a stamp of approval from the ‘Domestic Goddess’ NigellaLawson herself, who says, it is “A book that is infused with the flavors of Morocco and is as accessible as it is inspiring.”

She is the celebrated face of Moroccan food. In this interview with bazaar, Nargisse Benkabbou shares highlights of her journey so far. She reflects on growing up in Brussels as the daughter of Moroccan immigrants, moving to the United Kingdom and charting her journey from public policy to food and finally, writing her much-acclaimed debut cookbook. Read on.

You were born and raised in Brussels, how did your family keep you rooted in the magic of Moroccan culture and cuisine?

My parents are proper foodies and they used food as a way to keep us connected to our culture, which can be a challenge when raising children abroad. But for as far as I can remember food, and Moroccan food especially, has been a big part of our life at home. So without realizing it my brothers and I grew up in a very Moroccan environment where we valued our culture but also very good food.

You seem to be greatly inspired by your mum. How did this shape you as a blogger and a writer?

My love for food and love for cooking are definitely inspired by my mother. All my knowledge about traditional Moroccan cooking comes from her, which I am so thankful for; she also inspires my food styling which is very simple and minimalistic.

You studied politics in London and worked in corporate sector and then you moved to the world of food. What inspired that shift?

I was not very happy in the corporate world and I always dreamt to work in the food industry, so I guess it was just my motivation to follow my passion. After my cookery training, it was even more obvious to me that I belonged in the food industry.

What did it take to successfully transition from writing a blog to writing a cookbook?

A lot of motivation and patience.

There are so many fantastic recipes on the site. How did you choose what would be included in your book?

All the recipes in the book are new recipes; none of them are also in the blog. Choosing the recipes for the cookbook took a long time because I wanted to find the right balance between traditional and modern recipes, quick and longer recipes, while keeping seasons into account. I had very long brainstorming sessions and after a couple of months I was able to come up with a list that I was happy with.

What is your favorite recipe in the cookbook?

It depends on what I am in the mood for; lately I have been craving the merguez burger. 

What is your signature dish?

My chicken pastilla.

What inspired you to experiment with some of the classic dishes and to give them a contemporary spin? Do you ever get criticism from “purists”?

It’s very rare but it does happen, I really don’t mind it. Sometimes even my family finds some of my contemporary spin a bit weird but as soon as they taste the food, they automatically change their minds. It’s important to be sensitive to everyone’s opinions and take it into consideration. 

What inspired me to give a contemporary twist to traditional dishes is simply the world we live in where all things have the capacity to be brought together harmoniously. I would also say London because I am constantly amazed by the modern food scene. 

What is your favorite ingredient (other than ras al hanout, which you mention a lot in your book)?

Garlic, I couldn’t live without garlic.  

What is your favorite kitchen gadget?

Garlic crusher, it keeps my fingers clean.

If you could invite any 3 people to dinner, who would they be and why?

My mom, Choumina and Nigella Lawson. 

You have received accolades from ‘The Domestic Goddess’ herself, Nigella Lawson. What was that like?

It felt amazing to be acknowledged by someone I have great respect for; I remember watching The Domestic Goddess after I moved to London and following her recipes, so it felt a bit surreal.  

If your current self could give your past self, one sage baking/cooking advice, what would it be? 

To be more patient. 

Your future plans—are there more cookbooks in the works?

At the moment I don’t have plans for a new cookbook, I am doing consultancy work, supper clubs and cooking classes and I am really enjoying it. 

Cookbook author Nargisse Benkabbou shares an easy recipe for summer salad with readers of bazaar. Enjoy!

BEETROOT, GOAT CHEESE AND ORANGE SALAD

The salad is sweet and savory, fragrant and tangy. It’s perfect for spring and summer time, quick to prepare and can be enjoyed as a starter or a main with a side of quinoa. (Serves 4-6 people)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large oranges
• Pinch ground cinnamon
• 120 gr soft goat chees
• 100 gr baby leaf lettuce (or any type of lettuce)
• 1 uncooked medium sized beetroot (or 2 small beetroots
• 100 gr walnut halves (or walnut pieces)
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar
• Generous pinch ground cinnamon
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Olive oil, to drizzle
• For the dressing
• 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice (reserved when segmenting the oranges, more info in the notes section)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 ½ teaspoon orange blossom water
• Pinch ground cinnamon
• Pinch ground black pepper

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).

• Segment the oranges, retaining any juice that is released. Segmenting oranges is a lot of fun, take a look here. Gently place the orange segments in a plate, sprinkle with cinnamon and leave in the fridge. Keep the juice you retained from the oranges, you will need it for the dressing.

• Place the walnuts into a bowl, pour boiling water over them, leave for a minute and drain them. Directly place the walnuts in a plastic container and add in the icing sugar, cinnamon and cayenne pepper over them. The icing sugar will start melting because the walnuts are warm. Close the container and shake it to coat all the walnuts with the icing sugar and spices mixture. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the walnuts on the paper and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes or until golden brown.

• Peel the beetroot and slice it as thin as possible. Use a mandolin if you have one. Cut the beetroot slices in 1 inch (2,5cm) length pieces.

• In a small bowl, mix all the dressing ingredients together until smooth.

• Cut the goat cheese into small cubes (0.5 inch – 1,5 cm large) and place in the fridge.

• When ready to serve, toss the lettuce in the dressing and pile onto each plate. On each plate, arrange the beetroot, orange segments, goat cheese cubes and walnuts.

• Serve as a starter or a main with a side of quinoa.

NOTES:

• Tip to retain the juice of the oranges: segment the oranges over a bowl and also squeeze the remaining core over the same bowl to extract all the juice. 

• To prepare the candied walnuts, you can also place them in a bowl instead of a container and toss until the walnuts are coated but you will get a better result using a container. Using a container allows the walnuts to be evenly coated with the icing sugar and spices mixture.

• Use pecans if you don’t like walnuts. Follow the same method to make candied pecans.

To learn more about Nargisse Benkabbou, visit her Website: www.mymoroccanfood.com. You can follow her on Instagram @mymoroccanfood. Portrait image by Matt Russel and photography by Nargisse Benkabbou.